The Texas Retailers Association’s Texas Retailers Forum is racing in to the Marriott Champion’s Circle this year, right next to the historic Texas Motor Speedway. On July 23rd and 24th, hundreds of retail leaders will descend upon Fort Worth to hear from industry leaders as they discuss trends in preventing organized crime, retail in the age of the internet and social media, dealing with active shooters, adapting your business for the future as well as what to know regarding politics and retail in Texas.

To give you all an idea of just what to expect from the sessions at this year’s forum, we’ve chosen to highlight 5 you won’t want to miss:

1. How to Adapt Your Business Model to a Changing World, presented by GameStop

GameStop SVP Jason Cochran gives his insight on what it took for GameStop to not only adapt but thrive in a changing retail environment. GameStop was able to pivot from a strictly brick and mortar business model, to diverse and profitable business model that’s lead to growth year over year. Jason’s insight’s should give any retailer, small or large, perspective and inspiration to adapt to today’s digital retail climate.

2. E-Commerce & You: How Social Media & the Internet Can Work for Retailers, presented by BMUSED Imaging

BMUSED Imaging has been an integral part of Texas Retailers Association’s recent digital makeover and they’re at the forum this year to give their knowledge and expertise to attendees. Most business retailers understand that social media and the internet are important part of a successful business, but most don’t know where to start. In this session, the BMUSED team will layout some best practices and the foundation for any retailer to have a healthy and profitable digital presence.

To some retailers, organized retail crime of some sort can feel like an unavoidable cost of doing business, but during this session, Joe Williams and leaders at ORCA, look to dispel that myth by offering valuable information on tips on how to protect your business.

4. Being Prepared for an Active Shooter: Workplace Violence, Texas Gun Laws and Their Impact on Employers presented by Fisher Phillips.

While you cannot accurately predict who and what may present a risk of workplace violence, perhaps you can anticipate and prevent most incidents. The team from Fisher Phillips, through their two forum sessions, will give as much information as they can to help you and your employees stay one step ahead.

5. Discussion on Texas Politics with Statewide Advocacy Professionals

Sit down with those on the front line of Texas retail politics. Learn what’s being done on behalf of retailers and the legislature that matters the most to you and your business. Lead by Texas Retailers Association’s very own Jim Sheer.

In an industry that saw a 15 percent drop in physical retail sales in 2015, one brand continues to grow profits. For the third year in a row, GameStop profits per store increased. The electronics retailer reported profits of $176,000 per store, on average, or nearly 15 percent for each of its more than 6,600 retail locations. This increase is attributable in large respect to the brand’s transformation from an exclusively brick-and-mortar gaming retailer to a diversified brand with both physical and digital components.
Today, three-quarters of GameStop’s gross profit comes from video-gaming products. By 2019, Jason Cochran, senior vice president of U.S. stores for GameStop, predicts more than 50 percent of the retailer’s operating budget will come from sales of nonvideo gaming products. How will that happen? GameStop plans to diversify itself by expanding into four businesses — technology, collectibles, digital/mobile and, of course, gaming.
About two years ago, GameStop acquired Spring Mobile, an AT&T wireless retailer. In addition, GameStop previously purchased Simply Mac, an authorized retailer and repairer of Apple products. These acquisitions have provided the foundation for GameStop’s digital/mobile initiatives.
“At that time, Spring Mobile had just under 100 stores and Simply Mac was right around a dozen locations,” says Cochran. “We’ve grown, between Spring Mobile and Simply Mac, to over 1,000 locations by virtue of either acquisitions within the AT&T brands, new doors we’ve opened or, in some cases, converted GameStop stores to Spring Mobile AT&T stores because we might have had two locations of a GameStop within one mile of each other.”
GameStop views mobile technology as a $200 billion market in the U.S. And with its partnership with tech giant AT&T, GameStop is able to sell Cricket Wireless’ prepaid mobile services within 3,500 of its stores.
“What’s great about that is our customers are able to use trades for currency to pay for their mobile services,” Cochran notes.
Trade-ins are very popular among GameStop customers. Cochran reports that trade-ins added up to $1.1 billion in credit for customers, and 75 percent of that was put towards the purchase of new products.

Be sure to register for the Texas Retailers Forum and see Jason Cochran speak in person about how he helped guide GameStop into it’s new, and profitable future!